Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Game 6 stats: Minnesota extends playoff series with historic 45-point blowout win

Gilbert McGregor

Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Game 6 stats: Minnesota extends playoff series with historic 45-point blowout win image

Facing a 3-2 deficit against the defending champs, the Timberwolves' backs were against the wall in Game 6 of the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals. Minnesota's response was nothing short of resounding.

It didn't take long for things to get ugly in Minneapolis, as the Timberwolves used an early 27-2 run to get out to a 31-14 lead in the first quarter. Minnesota never truly looked back, outscoring Denver in every quarter — including a 29-9 result in the bench-clearing final frame — to force Game 7 with a 115-70 win.

As the 45-point margin of defeat would indicate, it was a night to forget for the defending champions. The nature of the blowout is even more evident after taking a deeper look through the box score.

Here are some of the most eye-popping numbers from Minnesota's Game 6 victory.

MORE: Full list of biggest blowouts in NBA Playoffs history

Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Game 6 stats

Team stats

 TimberwolvesNuggets
Points11570
Bench points369
Field goals40-86 (46.5%)26-86 (30.2%)
3-point field goals15-40 (37.5%)7-36 (19.4%)
Free throws20-24 (83.3%)11-14 (78.6%)
Rebounds6243
Assists2618
Turnovers6 (3 points off)12 (19 points off)

When looking at the stat comparison, the difference in offensive output jumps off the page.

Denver had an icy cold shooting night, and MVP Nikola Jokic was its most efficient player. Jokic finished with 22 points on 9-of-19 (47.3 percent) shooting from the field, but the rest of the Nuggets shot just 17 of 67 (25.4 percent).

Individual stats

Jamal Murray, who scored just 10 points on 4-of-18 (22.2 percent) shooting was a team-worst minus-32 in the box score, and Nikola Jokic was held to just two assists. It's the first time he's been posted fewer than seven assists in this year's postseason.

On Minnesota's side, Anthony Edwards led the way with 27 points on 8-of-17 shooting, while Jaden McDaniels exploded for 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting. It was just his second 20-point game of the 2024 playoffs.

With Edwards and McDaniels leading the charge, Wolves big men Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 18 points on 18 shots, but the frontcourt duo also combined to pull down 27 rebounds. With Naz Reid, the trio's 38 rebounds come close to Denver's team total of 43 boards.

Coupling Minnesota's stingy defense with fierce rebounding resulted in one of the biggest blowout victories in NBA Playoff history. Here is where the Wolves' Game 6 win stands in history.

MORE: What Nikola Jokic's playoff mastery has proven

Timberwolves vs. Nuggets: By the numbers

  • 45 points is the eighth-largest margin of victory in NBA Playoff history
  • The largest playoff margin of defeat for an eventual champion is 39 points (2021 Bucks, 2022 Warriors)
  • The next largest playoff margin of defeat for a defending champion is 36 points (2013 — Spurs 113, Heat 77)
  • 70 points is the Nuggets' lowest-scoring output since Jan. 29, 2015 (69 points)
  • The last time an NBA team scored 70 or fewer points was Nov. 14, 2018 (Jazz, 68 points)
  • The last time an NBA team scored 70 or fewer points in a playoff game was April 19, 2016 (Grizzlies, 68 points)

MORE: Kyle Irving's expert 2-round edition of the 2024 NBA Mock Draft

Biggest NBA Playoffs margins of victory 

RankMarginGame resultDate
1.58Nuggets 121, Hornets 63April 27, 2009
 58Lakers 133, Hawks 75March 19, 1956
3.56Lakers 156, Warriors 70April 21, 1973
4.54Bulls 120, Bucks 66April 30, 2015
5.50Bucks 136, Warriors 86April 4, 1971
6.47Magic 124, Celtics 77April 28, 1995
 47Lakers 135, Spurs 88April 17, 1986
8.45Timberwolves 115, Nuggets 70May 16, 2024
9.44Cavaliers 130, Celtics 86May 19, 2017
 44SuperSonics 122, Suns 78April 27, 1997
 44Lakers 153, Suns 109May 22, 1985
 44Hawks 105, Pistons 101March 25, 1958

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.